Fans of Taiko drumming, Minyo and Koto music, chicken teriyaki,
Bonsai and Ikebana can satisfy their cravings Sunday, April 3, at
the 45th Haru Matsuri.
Fans of Taiko drumming, Minyo and Koto music, chicken teriyaki, Bonsai and Ikebana can satisfy their cravings Sunday, April 3, at the 45th Haru Matsuri.
The annual Japanese spring festival, held at the Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center on Murphy Avenue, continues to draw thousands of visitors from around the county and farther afield.
The festival and parking are free though parking will be tight because the Far Western Championship swim meet, with its cast of thousands, continues through Sunday at the Aquatics Center just one block away. A soccer tournament, with still more cars, is in action directly across from the Haru Matsuri grounds.
Extra parking is available in a field behind the festival grounds and can be reached from Barrett Avenue, west from Hill Road or east from Murphy Avenue.
Begun as a traditional religious festival, Haru Matsuri celebrates the return of spring and introduces the delicacies of Japanese culture to area residents.
Nine years ago the San Jose Taiko Group joined up to entertain the visitors with the Northern California Taiko Expo, a day-long exposition of highly rhythmic drumming by SJTG and other Taiko groups. This year the SJTG will co-sponsor the festival.
Organizers promise a range of food served in bento boxes – chicken, sushi, manju and more – all kept at a temperature cold enough to make county food inspectors happy.
Two years ago the food service was shut down because the storage area did not reach the required low temperature. Though no one became ill from the food, the festival lost most of its income.
Nob Hill Foods has donated a commercial refrigerator/freezer that should resolve the situation permanently.
Visitors can also see cultural displays, a farmer’s market and take a chance on the annual Haru Matsuri Raffle.
The Haru Matsuri of 2002 expanded its reach and brought in a historical display of artifacts and photographs about the exploits of the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Battalion in World War II.
The American Army regiment was composed entirely of Japanese-Americans; several South County residents are surviving members.
The regiment suffered extremely high losses and earned an equally high number of medals, honors and recognition. The fact that many of the men’s families were interned in “resettlement camps” during the war made their heroic deeds all the more poignant. The display has returned to the festival each year since.
The forecast is for mostly sunny weather Sunday, with a slight chance of showers in the evening.
The 45th Annual Morgan Hill Haru Matsuri, at the Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center, 16450 Murphy Avenue, Morgan Hill (just south of East Dunne Avenue) on April 3, 2005 at 10:30am. Free Admission and parking. www.mhbcc.o-rg/hmatsuri
Carol Holzgrafe covers City Hall for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or phoning (408) 779-4106 Ext. 201.
